Maybe this should be in Pitch Your Bitch...

Recently got a large promotion, and after meeting our VP he has decided I am to lead some project and have to go to China for a few weeks.

We will be in Shanghai. Any tips from folks who have been there?

TIP: get back as soon as you can.
Never been but a buddy of mine went there and said it was dreadful.

Biggest tip I have is enjoy yourself! The food is excellent and people are generally nice. Don't speak politics as they are essentially brainwashed and don't mention Taiwan. They are extremely good hosts. If you like a food don't tell them it's amazing, or they'll end up giving way more than you can eat.

There was a brief story on Fox Business, I believe, a week or so ago, saying that American businessmen were being detained in China for no known reason. The story didn't name names, I saw no follow-up, but I'll suggest you read briefings that the State Department releases on current problems world-wide.

I used to review these reports early in my career in International Banking, but that was pre-internet by a couple decades. I hear they are available on-line now.

Personally, I wouldn't go. I had a similar experience (not China, but Mexico) in which several people in my department ended up in jail on dubious charges. When they asked me to go, I refused and quit rather than risk a Mexican prison.

If I've learned one thing here it's

Check every square inch of everything for loose rounds of ammo , prior to departure.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG4EVA:
Biggest tip I have is enjoy yourself! The food is excellent and people are generally nice. Don't speak politics as they are essentially brainwashed and don't mention Taiwan. They are extremely good hosts. If you like a food don't tell them it's amazing, or they'll end up giving way more than you can eat.

I second this.

Also, what Americans may consider rude such as being too physically close or bumping into you is just the norm. I don't think American humor translates very well so tamp that down such as sarcasm or dry humor. That's my pitfall.

To make you feel better about your assignment, be glad you're not being asked to spend weeks in India.

quote:

Check every square inch of everything for loose rounds of ammo , prior to departure.

I’d probably buy new luggage if I was going to a country like that. I’ve seen too many accounts of people who thought they had checked their luggage thoroughly.

Be careful what you bring back!

Yeah, stay away from the bat tacos!

My nephew did some filming as part of his job in China. He took a new laptop and phone to get his work done and when he returned, he didn't connect back online and didn't use it for his day to day work. It was just considered cost of doing work in China.

I've been to China five times in the last 20 yrs. I relished every single minute of being there, never had a bad meal, never got sick (other than being Covid patient zero in Dec. 2019), never met a person I didn't like (I generally hate everyone, and not equally). I could live there. And yes, you can talk politics. I wouldn't do it even in the US in a business setting. But there's nothing wrong with giving honest opinions when they ask you. And they will. I don't even think Taiwan is that sensitive a topic. The only one I would tiptoe around is Tiananmen Sq in June 1989. That one is still raw. I've had political debates over a good meal with gov't. officials there and with their embassy staff in DC. Check your western values and pre-conceived notions at the door. Going to China is a fantastic trip. I can't wait to go again. Then again, having Mrs. Lee handle all the heavy lifting makes my trip pretty easy. But I did it twice on my own before we were married and those were real adventures.

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Originally posted by Lord Vaalic:


We will be in Shanghai. Any tips from folks who have been there?

Two trips for me. More than 8 years ago.

You are very lucky. Shanghai (within the economic zone area) is very nice and very modern.

Just remember Chinese food in China, is nothing like Chinese food here in the US. Short history, the Chinese food that most of the US is familiar with is Cantonese, originated out of Southern China and Hong Kong by 19th century immigrant workers, and was adapted to American ingredients and taste preferences. Most of what we know like Chow Mein, Sweet & Sour Pork, Sesame Chicken, etc...are American dishes, you will not find them there. Shanghai is up the coast, different region, different food style and different language. More wheat is utilized thus, more noodle varieties, dumplings of varying types are pretty common, I've found Shanghainese food to be a sweeter than Cantonese due to the more prevalent use of soy sauce. The restaurants around the hotels where more foreign tourist stay are going to have restaurants catering to Western tastes, many of them are either really good or, horrendously bad and you'd have been better off getting a local to show you around. When eating with a local, understand that what's popular in China, may not jive with your tastes, most Westerners have difficulty with texture.

Shanghai historically is a cosmopolitan sophisticated city with a deep history of international trade and exchange which is reflected in the area called The Bund. Many buildings (what's remaining) that are still standing from a different era (pre-commie) reflect European architecture and the many ex-pat communities and merchants that lived in Shanghai.

Don't talk politics with the locals (unless you're comfortable going at it), the majority of them will only regurgitate what the state provides to the news, they have an exceedingly narrow perspective on the world since most don't travel abroad. Don't even think of making any commentary about the CCP, even if a local is doing it.

Get yourself familiar with a VPN, you'll need it for Western sites like Netflix, What's App, You Tube, etc...

Alipay is pretty widely used mobile pay, versus Apple pay or, PayPal.

Don’t bring your personal electronics like your phone or laptop. Whatever devices you do bring, don’t use them here when you get back. If possible, don’t log in to websites or apps you use personally while over there. If you need a personal email while there, just make a new one you can abandon when you are back. It isn’t so much that China is likely to target you specifically for a hack, but that they scrape credentials as a matter of course, and poke at devices looking for vulnerabilities automatically.

You very likely will want a smart phone while you are there because of the amount of electronic payments that are the default these days. Using a credit card through WePay or should be safe enough.

- Bret

Don't know a bloody thing about China except that it is full of commies.

However, on a personal note, congratulations on the promotion - it's been a long time coming. You know what I mean when I say that I am somewhat surprised. Apparently, their corporate "philosophy" hasn't worked out the way they had planned. Anyway, good on you for sticking it out and finally getting something in return.

I lived and worked in shanghai for 6 months. Loved every minute of it.

You can use the subway to get around the city or taxi's. I learned enough mandarin and shanghai language to tell the taxi drivers where to take me.

Crossing the street. It can be insane! Drivers there are insane. Just cross with the big masses.

Food: Indian restaurants are very good. The owners and most workers are from India and thus speak English.

if you want a beer, ask for Pea Joe. It is safe to drink beer.

Get a tour book and read it. Lots of helpful information.

Get the address of your hotel written down and give it to the taxi driver at the airport. Wait in line for a taxi, if someone approaches you they are a non-registered/licensed taxi. Don't use them.

- Light green colored taxis are good
- Dark black or dark maroon taxis are not good

- if a young college-age kid invites you to a tea party, don't go. It will be nice but thy will try to charge you 6x the actual cost.

- Gin Mao is the 2nd or 3 tallest building in the city you can go up to the bar for a view for free.

Ride the subway to the end of the line just to check the city out. Get out and walk, then ride it back. It is easy to buy a ticket in any of the stations.

Riding the busses is more difficult


For money just use your ATM card to get cash as needed.

Most restaurants will have picture menus. Though still, it is TBD what the food is.

Shanghai-type food is very good and has its own style.

American Chinese food isn't Chinese food. Do not expect any Orange chicken, sweet and sour chicken etc...

Bejing Duck is really good. Get your co-workers to take you to a good place.

The beer is low alcohol but expect to do a lot of toasts wit your hosts.

Have fun, and see all the sights.

The city is extremely safe.

Don't drink the water

There are "massage" parlors everywhere. they have poles similar to a barbershop. Avoid those.

There are good massage places as well, great foot and body massages, worth doing weekly.

it is an incredible place 21M+ people

walk along the bund and go into some of the old buildings/banks. They are European-built and incredible inside.

A lot of the buildings look like they have a landing pad for UFO's or something on the roof. At least the shorter ones.

I would go back in an instant.

My middle son has lived in Changsha for about 10 years, he likes it OK but realizes it for what it is (censorship, etc.) He has invited me over but I will never go.

quote:

Originally posted by stiab:
My middle son has lived in Changsha for about 10 years, he likes it OK but realizes it for what it is (censorship, etc.) He has invited me over but I will never go.

Do you not get along with him? You have zero interest in what his life is like over there or, being able to have a local take you around and show you what's interesting there?

quote:

Originally posted by Mboroman:
Don't know a bloody thing about China except that it is full of commies.

Ironically, they have a lot more freedom-loving capitalists than we do in the US, not in percentages, but in real numbers. Remember, a good chunk of our population are lefties. China has 5x our entire population. Sure, they have an authoritarian gov't., but they don't pretend to be anything else, unlike our regime and uniparty.

I spent time in the real E. Germany back in the day and, believe you me, you will never see any hint of that kind of commie police state in modern China. Furthermore, Westerners have near diplomatic immunity there. You really have to get out of line for the police to bother you. Westerners are well treated there.

In Shanghai they have a bullet train that runs from the airport to the world financial district where I stayed last time.
The Grand Hyatt Shanghai held then a Guiness World Record for the highest floor hotel in the world. The 1st floor was at floor ~79 then it went up.
If you are staying or can get to the Financial district you will want to eat at Din Tai Fung restaurant! It is dumplings and freaking wonderful!

I also stayed at Hyatt on the Bund and it was a very nice then new hotel~2008.

Food I had there was amazing.

HK Ag